Amazon HQ2 thread - Page 149

isaidso · #**2961** Posted **May 29, 2018, 9:28 PM**

Thank you for not including Ottawa in that group.

jtown,man · #**2962** Posted **May 29, 2018, 9:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mentallect

Alexandria and Arlington are 1 mile from DC proper, right across the river, and they are very progressive. No MAGA shirts, no NRA shirts, only Obama Biden, Ready for Hillary bumber stickers. Alexandria and Arlington are the cities everyone thinks about when they say Northern Virginia. Reston, McLean Virginia, Loudoun County, VA are further from DC core, and also very liberal, tech centric communities with diverse people and younger median age population. Only the military members in this region are conservative and some defense contractors. 85% of NVA are blue state voters.

You make extremely broad assumptions. Is NOVA pretty liberal? Yes. Is it San Francisco? Nope.

For your information, the NRA is based out of NOVA lol

How did you come up with the 85% number?

JoeMusashi · #**2963** Posted **May 29, 2018, 9:53 PM**

Why wouldn’t they move to DC? Amazon is practically on the verge of being a government agency. Major contracts with the CIA and bidding on others with the Pentagon. Ownership of the preeminent newspaper (along with the NYT) of the Washington Establishment. Led by a man who may be the most powerful & ambitious non-political figure second to Trump.

DC is the biggest power play. Chicago, Philly, Seattle, and even New York are small potatoes compared to having your people integrated with federal government. All this talk about transit and progressive liberals is bullshit in comparison to national & global political influence.

10023 · #**2964** Posted **May 29, 2018, 10:13 PM**

^ And of course, no government official will talk to Amazon or their lobbyists unless they locate their physical offices in the DC metro area.

Come on.

skyscraper · #**2965** Posted **May 29, 2018, 10:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMusashi

Why wouldn’t they move to DC? Amazon is practically on the verge of being a government agency. Major contracts with the CIA and bidding on others with the Pentagon. Ownership of the preeminent newspaper (along with the NYT) of the Washington Establishment. Led by a man who may be the most powerful & ambitious non-political figure second to Trump.

DC is the biggest power play. Chicago, Philly, Seattle, and even New York are small potatoes compared to having your people integrated with federal government. All this talk about transit and progressive liberals is bullshit in comparison to national & global political influence.

A bit much, don’t you think? On the verge of being a government agency? Integrated with the federal government? National and global political influence?
Give me a fucking break.
And while we’re at it, why wouldn’t it be just as important to be close to New York, center of finance? They’d want to be near both. That’s why philly makes sense.

themaguffin · #**2966** Posted **May 29, 2018, 11:07 PM**

Quote:

For your information, the NRA is based out of NOVA lol

Of course the gun manufacturing lobby is based there.

McBane · #**2967** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:10 AM**

Okay, DC so that what - all 50,000 people they hire can do what exactly with legislators and government officials? What's a developer, customer service rep, researcher, etc. going to do with DC types? Please explain.

You need lobbyists, which you outsource. Amazon might have a handful of high level execs and perhaps a government relations team that would interact with government officials.

I'm not saying DC isn't a good choice. But the measure of any interest group's influence has nothing to do with their proximity to DC.

Crawford · #**2968** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtown,man

You make extremely broad assumptions.

He isn't just making "extremely broad assumptions", he's making stuff up.

Like 5% of DC voted for Trump, around 10% of Montgomery/PG Counties (MD) voted for Trump, while around 35% of Fairfax/Prince William (VA) voted for Trump.

Clearly DC is more blue than MD which is more blue than VA. NoVA is much redder than DC or MD.

JMKeynes · #**2969** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:20 AM**

While HQ2 appears to be DC bound, it would be nice if the Triangle gets Amazon and Apple.

https://www.wraltechwire.com/2018/05/29/...e-could-win-both-amazon-hq2-apple-deals/

JoeMusashi · #**2970** Posted **May 30, 2018, 11:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

^ And of course, no government official will talk to Amazon or their lobbyists unless they locate their physical offices in the DC metro area.

Come on.

It’s more about having your massive workforce and leaders interacting, influencing, and integrating with government officials on a daily basis. That’s how Washington became the way it is today, ‘the Swamp’ as Trump calls it. These permanent fixtures who never leave DC regardless of which party is in charge at the time. Amazon would become more powerful being a fixture in DC alongside all the other government agencies, national media, foreign dignitaries, political class, lobbyists, etc.

10023 · #**2971** Posted **May 30, 2018, 11:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMusashi

It’s more about having your massive workforce and leaders interacting, influencing, and integrating with government officials on a daily basis. That’s how Washington became the way it is today, ‘the Swamp’ as Trump calls it. These permanent fixtures who never leave DC regardless of which party is in charge at the time. Amazon would become more powerful being a fixture in DC alongside all the other government agencies, national media, foreign dignitaries, political class, lobbyists, etc.

No, that’s not how it works at all.

Kenmore · #**2972** Posted **May 30, 2018, 11:19 AM**

it's almost as if beltway bandits aren't a thing, lol

it's going to DC folks

Mentallect · #**2973** Posted **May 30, 2018, 11:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by McBane

What's the most ridiculous thing I've read on this thread?

a) Amazon will relocate to DC b/c Bezos owns a home there (regardless of the fact that he has an infinite pool of money to buy a home wherever he damn well pleases)

b) Amazon will rule out any locations in conservative states/regions (regardless of local talent, business climate, tax incentives, site specifics, etc. and because Bezos makes all of his business decisions based on his political beliefs)

c) Amazon will choose DC so it can be close to legislators (because they want all HQ2 employees to be able to rub elbows with congressmen; also, Amazon is too cheap to fly/train executives to DC and they don't use DC-based lobbyists)

d) All of the above

Dumb people do not build things. Smart people do. Every tech company was built by liberal talent. A very smart person costing $150,000 a year produces more value at a company than a person with average/less than average intelligence who earns $50K a year. Tech companies are not going to red states as a rule. Bathroom bills, racism, misogyny, etc. turns off the type of people Amazon needs. I have been in board rooms, and know what considerations are made at the top.

Mentallect · #**2974** Posted **May 30, 2018, 11:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtown,man

You make extremely broad assumptions. Is NOVA pretty liberal? Yes. Is it San Francisco? Nope.

For your information, the NRA is based out of NOVA lol

How did you come up with the 85% number?

The NRA wants to be close to GOP politicians, but their support are in southern Virginia, Charlottesville, and the old south. No MAGA shirts, confederate flags, nor NRA hats in Arlington, Alexandria, Springfield, McLean, etc. Everyone who lives here knows that, but posters who do not live here would not know.

Kenmore · #**2975** Posted **May 30, 2018, 12:34 PM**

i see MAGA hats all the time in Chicago

Mentallect · #**2976** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenmore

i see MAGA hats all the time in Chicago

I was born in Chicago, but I do not live there now. Chicago is a diverse city, but exceptionally large geographically. I imagine you can see MAGA hats on the near South Side, especially around the White Sox stadium. But, Chicago is very blue overall, and has elected nothing but Democrats my entire life. In the near suburbs, it is a mixture of politics since most republicans in Illinois live in the close in suburbs and exurbs.

Investing In Chicago · #**2977** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:34 PM**

This thread is amazing - so many experts on what Amazon is looking for in a "HQ2"...the reality is, even the know-it-alls here have absolutely no idea what they are talking about.

I also love how people on this site believe Republican = Bad and Democrat = Good.

Steely Dan · #**2978** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenmore

i see MAGA hats all the time in Chicago

you do?

we must live in very different parts of town then.

i've very sporadically seen MAGA hats around town here or there, but "all the time"? no.

it happens rarely enough that if i do happen to see one, i will take special notice of it like "now there's a fish out of water".

Kenmore · #**2979** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

you do?

we must live in very different parts of town then.

i've very sporadically seen MAGA hats around town here or there, but "all the time"? no.

it happens rarely enough that if i do happen to see one, i will take special notice of it like "now there's a fish out of water".

Foster/Kenmore here

I see them in Andersonville, at the beach, downtown, etc

Steely Dan · #**2980** Posted **May 30, 2018, 1:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenmore

Foster/Kenmore here

I see them in Andersonville, at the beach, downtown, etc

i used to live at peterson/clark, so i guess we'll have to chalk it up to different experiences and/or radically different understandings of the phrase "all the time".